Utility Access and Health - Center for Children's Advocacy

PRICE(Dollars per Thousand Cubic Feet)U.S. Price of Natural Gas Delivered to Residential Consumer16Training 14 Health Care Providers to Recognize LinksBetween Utilities and Health1210In 2005-2006, the BMC pediatrics clinic wrote 193 shut-off protection letters to utility companieson behalf of patients. 8 MLP | Boston worked to increase this figure and the number of familiesreceiving utilities 6assistance by training healthcare staff in the pediatrics department to routinelyask patients questions about their energy needs.4The lawyers employed a variety of training strategies, including poverty simulations, 10 three2hour Advocacy Boot Camps and the creation of an annual Utilities Awareness Week at BMC tohelp providers 0understand the struggles of balancing different needs―for food, utilities, rent and1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008medicine. With a better understanding of patients’ daily struggles, the health care staff was ableYEARto reach out to patients and help them secure shut-off protection.Training began in 2006. By 2007, physicians at the pediatrics clinic were producing 80 percentmore letters certifying patients for utilities shut-off protection (Figure 2).800Figure 2Protection Letters Written in BMC Pediatric Clinic700676600# of Letters50040030035248120019310002005-2006 2006-2007 2007-2008 2008-2009YEARThe Evolution of Medical-Legal Partnership Advocacy:Initial Problem:Many patient families are atrisk of utilities shut-off due toexpensive energy bills. Heatand electricity are key tohealth.Training:MLP | Boston trains healthcare providers to screenfor energy needs and writeshut-off protection letters toutilities companies.Increased DirectService:MLP | Boston opens EnergyClinic to handle an increasein utility cases referred byhealth care providers.